Net Worth: $300 Million
Industry: Entertainment
Notable Member(s): Brad Pitt
Claim to Fame: Fight Club
Brad Pitt is another wonderful example of someone who nailed the American Dream. He grew up in rural Oklahoma with a father who owned a trucking company and his mother, who worked as a school counselor. He majored in journalism in college but moved to L.A just a few weeks before he would have gotten his degree.
When he first got out to Hollywood, he took acting classes and struggled to find a gig like most actor hopefuls. But in 1994, he landed his breakthrough role in Interview with the Vampire, and things took off for him after that. He’s one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood, starring in blockbuster hits like Troy and Ocean’s Twelve. But all of Pitt’s hard-earned money didn’t come through him being in front of the camera. He’s produced a few films including 12 Years a Slave for which he won an Oscar for his off-screen work. The A-lister was divorced from ex-wife Angelina Jolie with whom he shares several children, both biological and adopted.
The Asness’
Net Worth: $3.1 Billion
Industry: Finance
Notable Member(s): Clifford Scott Asness
Claim to Fame: AQR Management
Clifford Asness manages a financial firm that’s responsible for over $200 billion across the world. He himself sits on a cushy $3 billion nest egg that he’s built from “applied quantitative research,” and hedge funds. He grew up in New York and went to college in Chicago, where he landed his first real job.
The job, which came while he was still enrolled in his Ph.D. program in Chicago, was a personal assistant position for Eugene Farma. Farma is a famous economist in the United States, best known for his “three-factor-model.” In his dissertation for the program, Asness argued against one of his professor’s theories. After school, he went straight to Wall Street where he landed a job with Goldman Sachs. Asness has become a sort of financial activist, speaking out against predatory capitalism and sky-high hedge fund fees. He sometimes comments in print publications, as well as on CNBC.
The Buschs
Net Worth: $13.5 Billion
Industry: Alcohol
Notable Member(s): Adolphus Busch
Claim to Fame: Budweiser
Everyone over the age of 21 in America knows about the Busch family. After all, they’re the ones who are responsible for Budweiser – one of America’s most favorite beers. In 1876, Adolphus created a brand that everyone knows and loves. Unfortunately, prohibition was right around the corner.
When prohibition struck, it wreaked havoc upon all of the alcohol companies, and Budweiser was no exception. Fortunately, they pulled through it by selling ice cream and soda and boy did they bounce back. However, they were so happy when Roosevelt repealed it that they sent him a 24-case to show their appreciation. Unfortunately, the company fell victim to a hostile takeover in the early 2000’s, although they still managed to walk away with $52 billion. Today, the family owns and operates the smaller, but still successful, William K. Busch Brewing Company. Who knows, maybe it will grow into big brother’s shoes and reanimate the empire. In any case, the Busch family reigns as one of the richest families in America.
The Sobratos
Net Worth: $7 Billion
Industry: Real Estate
Notable Member(s): John A. Sobrato
Claim to Fame: Sobrato Development Co.
John Sobrato grew up with a mother who worked in real estate, and who launched the family’s real estate business back in the 1940s. He was lucky enough to get in on flipping houses when he was still a student, attending Santa Clara University in California at 18 years old. He still operates as an advisor to the company, which is known today as The Sobrato Organization.
When he first began working in the family business, it was called Midtown Reality, but he ended up selling that company to launch his own in the form of The Sobrato Organization – a move that would make him the billionaire that he is now. The company owns thousands of commercial offices that belong to big names like Netflix. John had three children, including a son, also named John, and two daughters, Sheri and Lisa. All of his children that got their hands on a portion of the family’s wealth invested it in something – such as a piece of the San Francisco 49ers. John M Sobrato also currently works as Chairman of the board for The Sobrato Organization.
The Cargill-MacMillans
Net Worth: $43 Billion
Industry: Agriculture, Energy
Notable Member(s): James Cargill
Claim to Fame: Cargill Inc.
You may not necessarily recognize the Cargill name, but they really don’t need you to. Why? Because this family is packed full of billionaires – more than any other family in the world. Cargill Inc started as a small farming company in 1865 and has grown into one of the most profitable private businesses on Earth – grossing nearly $120 million per year.
Actually, the corporation is the single largest one in the United States, producing everything from livestock to energy. The company’s website is full of industries that it’s cornered – industrial, beauty, risk management, pharmaceutical, and transportation, among others. The family members are reportedly worth over $1 billion each, but most of them remain very secretive and try to keep their lives and affairs private. But don’t worry – how could you not trust secretive billionaires that control every single egg that gets used at each McDonalds and was found in violation of human rights acts after they got caught using (forced) child labor in 2005. Seems super legit.